MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD PRESIDENT
“ ... THE REALITY (IS) THAT THE STATISTICS OFTEN REPRESENT A FRACTION OF THE ACTUAL NEED. FORTUNATELY, THEY’VE ALSO SHOWN ME WHAT WE ARE CAPABLE OF WHEN WE COME TOGETHER WITH A COMMON GOAL TO FACE THESE ISSUES HEAD-ON. ”
GATEWAY BY THE NUMBERS
IN 2023...
195 survivors of domestic violence (and their children) lived in the emergency shelter.
21 nights was the average length of stay in the emergency shelter.
7,756 guest nights of shelter were provided in the emergency shelter.
3,077 hours of volunteer time were contributed.
Greetings!
Chances are if you received this annual report and are reading this letter, you’ve supported Gateway in some meaningful way in the past year. Thank you! For many of you, that support stretches back much farther. It’s because of people like you that Gateway is thriving today in its mission of providing safety, shelter and support to those impacted by domestic violence.
As someone who grew up in Gainesville/Hall County and is now raising my children here, I don’t remember a time when Gateway was not an integral part of this community. On the one hand, I wish I didn’t have this opportunity to serve and now lead our Board of Directors. That would mean the problem of domestic violence no longer existed here and we could turn our attention elsewhere. But as you’ll see in our “Gateway By the Numbers” feature, that is unfortunately not the case.
On the other hand, it’s an honor to be part of an organization that’s making such a difference in the lives of so many, particularly women and children. It’s one thing to look a list of numbers that help quantify the size of the problem. It’s another to see firsthand the struggles so many in our community face.
I’ve been fortunate to work in several roles during my life where I’ve had the opportunity to better understand those problems and their effects. These experiences have driven home the reality that the statistics often represent a fraction of the actual need. Fortunately, they’ve also shown me what we are capable of when we come together with a common goal to face these issues head-on.
Thanks to the generous support of people like you, Gateway is making a positive impact on the fight against domestic violence in our community. In this report you’ll see photos and examples of the contributions Gateway’s staff and our community volunteers make each day. Thank you for helping make this work possible through your generosity.
Sincerely,
Joy Griffin
64 women and children lived in Gateway’s long-term transitional housing program.
12 average number of months residents lived in the transitional housing program.
9,071 guest nights were provided in the transitional housing program.
$13 average hourly wage of transitional housing residents
143 adult survivors of domestic violence attended support groups.
167 children participated in support groups.
1,377 total number of clients served through Gateway programming.
$5,644 average monthly amount Gateway paid to help clients with expenses like transportation, childcare, rent deposits, attorneys and prescriptions.
1,517 number of crisis calls Gateway answered on the 24/7 hotline.
93% of the adults who participated in Gateway programs said they can better manage their own safety.
89% of adult clients say that Gateway has helped them learn ways to handle their emotions when they felt overwhelmed.
203 survivors were assisted applying for a Temporary Protective Order.
72 survivors received legal representation (an attorney) through Gateway during TPO hearings.
Moving Forward
We’ve spent the past year making our new shelter a home. It’s been rewarding to watch our team and our clients move toward a common goal, together. Because while we moved into this new space, that was just the beginning. Each day we watch as our clients take steps to move toward futures free from abuse, where they don’t just survive, but thrive. Thank you for being part of this journey.
POINTS OF PRIDE
CINDY BRYANT
Cindy Bryant, Director of Advocacy, was recognized by WomenSource as a woman of power in advocacy in 2023. Cindy has worked closely with Gateway’s transitional housing program since 2010 and is passionate about advocating for affordable housing in our community.
JANEL DALY
Janel Daly was selected by the Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence as a “Don’t knock the hustle” mini grant recipient in 2023. To be selected, honorees must be small business owners who are either survivors of abuse or work for a domestic violence program. Janel owns her own cleaning business and joined the staff at Gateway in January 2023.
CHRISTINE HERNANDEZ
Gateway legal advocate Christine Hernandez was recognized by Brenau University and the Featherbone Communiversity as a master in her field in 2023. Christine is a Brenau graduate and has worked with Gateway for two years.
JESS MAYNARD
A writer by trade, Jess Maynard facilitates Gateway support groups for teens two nights a week. Jess writes about workplace mental health for Spring Health, an organization that offers behavioral health treatment and employee assistance programs. For the past two years, she’s covered Gateway’s domestic violence breakfast and briefing events, and these articles were published on the Spring Health blog. In 2023, her blog was recognized as one of Spring Health’s mostread blogs of the year.
BOARD MEMBERS & STAFF
as of March 1, 2024
Gateway’s Staff BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Joy Griffin, President
Nick Challen, Past President
Nikova Mason, Vice President
Rachel Sprouse, Secretary
Sharon Holt, Treasurer
Loveanne Addison
Lynn Carter
Alaina Conner
Wendy Coto-Puckett
Susan J. Daniell
Kristy Davies
Joe Elias
Blake Fulenwider
Jenny Floyd
Kristi Griffin
Brittney Hammonds
Charlie Hawkins
Giovanna Holden
Heather Hollimon
Shannon Hughs
Bernard Larkin
Kelly Lee
Anna Moore
Jay Parrish
Rachel Payne
Kelley Robertson
Brenda Robles
John Strupe
Vanessa Sykes
Julie Tenold
Lee Towns
Susanne Stribling Turner
Keith Whitaker
ADVISORY BOARD
Lynda Askew
Ruth Bruner
Emily Bagwell
Maria Calkins
Tina Carlson-Griffeth
Cheryl Christian
Julia Cromartie
Lydia Ferguson
Sissy Lawson
Deborah Mack
Beth Nott
Kimberly Dobbs Scott
GATEWAY STAFF
Danica Barron, Night and Weekend
House Manager
Cindy Bryant, Director of Advocacy
Jessica Butler, Executive Director
Janel Daly, Cleaning Professional
Letiecia Davenport, Family Advocate
Jennifer Findley, Night and Weekend House Manager
Lauren Gately, Night and Weekend House Manager
Vicki Grizzard, Child Advocate
Christine Hernandez, Legal Advocate
TJ Johnston, Night and Weekend House Manager
Denise Kronk, Bookkeeper
Lola Longoria, Shelter Manager
Jennelle Major, Family Advocate
Jennie Pless, Night and Weekend Supervisor
Valery Prada, Family Advocate
Israel Quintanar, Legal Advocate
Dana Skelton, Night and Weekend House Manager
Karen Staley, Administrative Assistant
Lisa Thomas, Family Advocate
Janet Whittaker, Director of Operations
Cassie Yanez, Transitional Advocate
SUPPORT GROUP PROGRAM
FACILITATORS
Shelby Adams
Faith Bater
Dawn Columbo
Jess Maynard
Beth Oropeza
Savannah Partee
Monica Rios
Arielle Sabina
Sarah Sukumaran
Yesica Turcios
Robin Underwood
Katelynn Warren
Gateway’s Board of Directors
